I never did get around to 'fixing' this last year.  One year on, I found the old notes, noted again that the bracket appeared bent from what it should look like and took a chance bending it out.  It worked.  It is a substantial piece of metal.  How it ever got so bent is beyond me.  Merry Christmas,  Burt

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider and for supplying the exploded diagram.

If I look at the arm it does indeed have an upward bend just behind the mounting point to the truck and this would seem to have the result of canting up the front axle.  Hard for me to imagine what could have happened here to bend that pretty substantial arm.  I'm also missing the front wire guide on that arm.  Is this only a wire guide or does it have some sort of bumping or limiting action as well?  Both of the screws that mount this arm seem to have all of the washers and spacers but have a fair amount of 'play' in them.  I'm guessing that is normal to let it float a little. 

As a side question, what is the purpose of those wires?  They don't look like they serve as a part of the power take up but I don't see anything they connect to.

Merry Christmas,  Happy Holidays,  Burt

Thanks for reading.  We have a White Christmas Express and it is giving us problems. It's a 4-6-0.  The front axle of the lead wheels will not lay flat on the track and the second axle ends up derailing itself as the truck flails about.  If I reach in and try to press the front axle to the track the front row of drive wheels wants to lift slightly.  I'm surprised at how much play there is in this front mechanism and my inclination was to try to fasten the lead wheel arm to the truck toward the back near the second axle to sort of pull up the back axle.  However, it seems like it needs that freedom to swing a little there in addition to the main pivot as the train moves in to the curve.  Any thoughts on what might have happened or how to remedy it would appreciated.